EXCITATION OF OXYGEN BY BOMBARDMENT WITH ENERGETIC H-3(+) MOLECULES

Oxygen gas was bombarded by ions of H-3(+) with an energy of 1 MeV, an d the emission spectrum recorded in the wavelength range 320-950 nm. N umerous spectral features from excited states in O, O+ and O-2(+) were observed. The emission lines from the atomic ions (but not from neutr al atoms) were found to be Doppler broadened, indicating that these ex cited ions result from the energetic fragmentation of molecules. The l ight emission of principal spectral features has been studied as a fun ction of gas pressure, and the observations elucidate the different co ntributions of projectile ions and electrons to the excitation process . Such pressure curves may also be useful for line classification.